{"id":10393,"date":"2013-05-02T13:47:01","date_gmt":"2013-05-02T17:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=10393"},"modified":"2015-08-21T14:21:54","modified_gmt":"2015-08-21T18:21:54","slug":"how-to-make-a-handmade-bead-bracelet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/how-to-make-a-handmade-bead-bracelet\/","title":{"rendered":"HOW TO MAKE A HANDMADE BEAD BRACELET"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"How<\/div>\n

Where it all Begins…<\/H2><\/p>\n

\nI Bought Tons of Beads and Wire<\/strong> and Decided that my First Adventure into my Jewelry Making Business<\/a> would be a Bead Bracelet.<\/p>\n

\nI had a Friend in mind who Loves Light Green Jewelry. Her Birthstone is Peridot<\/strong>! (August<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

Choosing Beads<\/h2>\n

\nSo I Started going through all the Poly Bags of Beads and Gemstones<\/strong> Picking out the Green ones.<\/p>\n

\nMost of what I Bought in Beads and Gems were from Assorted Bags from Amazon<\/a>\"\". I had No Idea what I was Getting, but I am Pretty Pleased at the Variety<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Greens and Browns<\/h2>\n

\nI decided to use the Color Combination of Greens and Browns<\/strong>. Earthy Colors seem to Work Very Well together.<\/p>\n

\nI Found one Round Disc that I Absolutely Loved. I wanted to use that as the Main Attraction. That Glass Bead went Directly into the Center of the Bracelet (See Picture at Top<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

\nI Laid these Beads on a Neat Little Jewelry Making Tray (Bead Board<\/a>) that came in one of my Kits. Let me tell you, This is an Awesome Tool<\/strong>. Much Needed. It has Grooves in the Tray that allow you to Set your Beads in so they won’t Roll all over the Place.<\/p>\n

\"Jewelry<\/p>\n

\nIt’s Worth Every Penny<\/strong>. Buy One!<\/a><\/p>\n

Seven and a Half Inches Long<\/h2>\n

\nI called my Friend to see what Length to Make the Bracelet. An Average length is 7″. She said 7.5″. That’s what I went for.<\/p>\n

\nThe Bead Board has a Curved Ruler next to the Grooves that Helps you Measure how Long your Bracelet will be. Sweet!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Perfect Size<\/h2>\n

\nIt took me Much Longer than I Realized to Sort through all the Gems to get a Nice Look<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nAfter Playing around with Different Sizes of Beads and Different Layouts, I finally settled on this:<\/p>\n

\"Handmade<\/p>\n

\nIt Laid out to be 7.5″ Long. It Looked Perfect to me.<\/p>\n

The Wire<\/h2>\n

\nNow for the Fun Part: The Wire!<\/a><\/p>\n

\nI am Clueless when it comes to Wire. I had No Idea what Gauge or Thickness of Wire to Choose. How was I to know what Works with the Size of Beads I Picked out???<\/p>\n

\nI looked through my Jewelry Making Books<\/a>\"\" and they weren’t much help<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nSure, the Books said use this Size of Wire for Small Beads, and that Size of Wire for Medium Beads… But the Problem was: What Size were MY Beads?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nLOL<\/strong> There were No Images in the Books to Show what a Small, Medium or Large Bead looked like.<\/p>\n

\nARGGGG!<\/strong><\/p>\n

I took a Drive to Michaels<\/h2>\n

\nI went on a Road Trip to Michaels<\/strong> (The Hobby Craft Store) to see if they could Shed some Light on the Subject. They had Tons of Different Wire. Different Colors. Some with Different Flexibility and Thickness. It was Mind-Boggling! <\/strong><\/p>\n

\nI Read the Packages. They all Say: Good for Beading! <\/strong><\/p>\n

\nSigh!<\/p>\n

Feeling the Wire<\/h2>\n

\nI Felt the Wire in the Packages. Some Spools actually had a Sample Piece Sticking out that you could Thumb. That’s how I Decided what to go with. I picked a .015 in, 0.38 mm. Wire. It is made by a Company called Beadalon and is called Beadalon Satin Gold Wire<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nIt says that it is Bead Stringing Wire<\/strong>, and it also says that it’s Colored Nylon Coated Stainless Steel.<\/p>\n

Steel’s Strong! Right?<\/h2>\n

\nI Cut a Piece of Wire off that was about 10″ Long, just to make sure I had enough.<\/p>\n

Starting the End<\/h2>\n

\nI wanted to put a Closed Jump Ring at one end, so it wouldn’t open up or Pull open. I wanted this Bracelet Durable!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nSadly, all the Jump Rings I could find at the Stores were Thin and didn’t look Very Strong (I’m used to Seeing Thicker 14K Gold Jump Rings<\/a>).<\/p>\n

It made me Nervous<\/h2>\n

\nI went with the Thickest and Heaviest Jump Ring that I could find. It was 5 mm Wide by 3\/4 mm Thick (I really wanted at least 1 mm thick).<\/p>\n

\nI closed the Jump Ring Gap with my Pliers until it was Snugly Together. I heard of a little Trick that you can do with Jump Rings to make them Stronger: Strike them with a Hammer. This makes the Tension and Durability Better. I didn’t have a Hammer though. :(<\/p>\n

\nNote to Self:<\/strong> Buy a Jeweler’s Hammer<\/strong> (Called a Chasing Hammer<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Tying the End of the Wire<\/h2>\n

\nI followed along with the Books. I put the Wire through a Crimp Tube (image 1 below). Looped the end back through it until it Formed a Little Loop at the end (image 2). Now for the Fun Part<\/strong>…<\/p>\n

Crimping the Tube<\/h2>\n

\nI Grabbed my Crimping Pliers<\/a>. There are 2 Notches in the Pliers. One is for Folding the Tube. One is for Pinching the Tube.<\/p>\n

\nI put the 2nd Notch on my Crimp Tube and Squeezed (3). It Bent the Crimp Tube into a Nice Little Crescent Moon Shape (4). Now I turned the Tube Sideways and put it in the Top Notch of the Pliers and Squeezed Tightly again (5). This Closed the Tube Flat and Secures the Wire (6).<\/p>\n

\"Crimping<\/p>\n

\nNow all that was left was for me to Snip the Loose end of the Wire off (7).<\/p>\n

Adding the Bead Tip<\/h2>\n

\nI Grabbed a Bead Tip<\/a>. It’s like an opened Bead with a Hole at one end and a Hook at the other.<\/p>\n

\nI Slid my Wire through the Hole and pulled it all the way until the Crimp Tube was sitting nicely in the open Bead<\/strong> (image 1 below).<\/p>\n

\nI Bent the Hook down and closed the open Bead over the Tube and end (2-3).<\/p>\n

\nTaking my Pliers I Pressed this together carefully (Don’t Squish the Bead) until it was Closed (4). <\/p>\n

\nOne end is Finished! <\/strong>:)<\/p>\n

\"Adding<\/p>\n

Threading the Beads on<\/h2>\n

\nNow the Easy Part<\/strong>. Threading the Beads on. This could not be Simpler or Funner (Is that a Word?<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

\nIt took no time to put all my Beads on. Once on, I Laid the Bracelet out and…<\/p>\n

\nWHAT?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Bracelet was only 6 3\/4″ Long!<\/h2>\n

\nHow did that happen?<\/strong> :(<\/p>\n

\nI must not have had them close enough together on the Bead Board.<\/p>\n

Rats!<\/h2>\n

\nI gently laid the Bracelet back down on the Grooves and pulled the Wire out. I needed to Add more Beads!<\/p>\n

\nPoop!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Adding More Beads!<\/h2>\n

\nI Proceeded to pick out about 6 more Beads. Another 15 minutes of Looking, Sorting and Rearranging and I finally decided on a NEW Look! <\/strong><\/p>\n

\nBack on the Wire they go. One at a time I put them all on in the right order. I didn’t think this would be so Time Consuming<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

8 Is Enough<\/h2>\n

\nI Measured my Bracelet again. It’s 7.5″ which is Perfect, but then I Realized: I still need to put the Clasp on! Bah! That would make it 8″ Long!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nI say Screw it<\/strong>, Leave it, and Decide to Finish the Bracelet.<\/p>\n

\nI Learned that Trying to get a Bracelet the Exactly Size you need it is not as easy as it Sounds<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nIt’s all Trial and Error!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bead Stoppers<\/h2>\n

\nThese things come in Handy<\/a>. It’s nothing more than a Spring, but it Works Wonders<\/strong>. You just Clip them onto the Wire and you don’t have to Worry about your Beads falling off.<\/p>\n

\"Jewelry<\/a>
\nI Love them. I’m Happy I Bought them.<\/p>\n

Tying the End<\/h2>\n

\nThe End was NOT Easy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nI wanted to add a Bead Tip like I did the other end, but I didn’t think my Clasp would fit through the Hook (at least not with any Movement left).<\/p>\n

\nHmmm… I must have stared at the Bracelet for a Good 5 Minutes<\/strong> trying to figure out what to do.<\/p>\n

\nI decided to just Crimp the End of the Wire and Loop the Clasp through it.<\/p>\n

Crimp Tube<\/h2>\n

\nI held my Bracelet up. Removed my Bead Stopper and Slid the Crimp Tube<\/a> on.<\/p>\n

\nIt Slid all the way down the Wire and Disappeared into the Hole of my Last Bead.<\/p>\n

Ahhhhhhhh!<\/h2>\n

\nI Laid the Bracelet back down and had to Maneuver the Beads at the end until I could find the Lost Crimp Tube<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nLeaving the Bracelet on the counter I held the Tube in place while I Looped the Wire though my Clasp and back into the Tube.<\/p>\n

This Was Hard<\/h2>\n

\nThere was no Room to Hold onto things. And I didn’t know how Loose to Leave the Bracelet. I knew I Wanted a little Play between the Beads, but how do you Figure that out? <\/strong><\/p>\n

\nI Found the Whole Process Difficult<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

\nHolding the Bracelet, Crimp Tube, Wire, Clasp AND Crimp Pliers all at the Same Time was Crazy. If I let one thing Slip I could Dump the Beads all over the Counter. Not Fun<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I really needed 3 hands<\/h2>\n

\nOnce I got the Wire pulled back through the Tube, I gave the Tube a Good Crimp (2nd notch). Turning the Tube I gave it another Crimp with the Top Notch.<\/p>\n

That’s it!<\/h2>\n

\nThe Clasp and End is Complete! <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Finishing<\/p>\n

\nAll I had to do now was Snip the Left Over Wire off with the Cutters and it was Good to Go<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Bracelet Finished<\/h2>\n

\nI Love how it turned out. It’s Pretty, Bright, Delicate, my Friend should Love it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nThe Colors Worked Well. The Variety of Beads looked Cool. I was Happy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nI was also Scared because I didn’t know how well it would hold up. After all, I really have no idea what I’m doing<\/strong>. lol<\/p>\n

Here’s the Finished Bracelet:<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Gold Plated Findings<\/h2>\n

\nI just Wished I had used Real Gold instead of the Gold Plated Crap<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Plated Jewelry Sucks!<\/h2>\n

\nThe Plating will Rub off and Fade, not to Mention Tarnish and Break!<\/p>\n

\nOh well. What can I say?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nI did notice that the Clasp was Tough and Didn’t Open or Close Well. It Felt Cheap and Useless<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\nI really need to invest in REAL Findings<\/strong> if I’m going to do this.<\/p>\n

\nFor now, this Bracelet is Done<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

My Friends Reaction<\/h2>\n

\nOf course she Loved it. Do you think she would say anything else? ha!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nShe did have a Problem with the Clasp…<\/p>\n

^#@*!* Cheap No Good Clasp…<\/h2>\n

\nI put the Bracelet on her. It was a Perfect Fit! I got something right! :)<\/p>\n

\nSo there you go. She Wore it. She Loved it<\/strong>. I did give her a Little Bit of Advice…<\/p>\n

\n“If the Bracelet Breaks, Try to Pick up all the Pieces!<\/strong>“<\/p>\n

LOL<\/h2>\n

\nFirst Bracelet Finished. Plenty More to Come.<\/p>\n

The Real Question is:<\/h2>\n

\nHow Long will it Last?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Where it all Begins… I Bought Tons of Beads and Wire and Decided that my First Adventure into my Jewelry Making Business would be a Bead Bracelet. I had a Friend in mind who Loves [Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,16,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gemstones","category-guides","category-jewelry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10393"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10393"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10393\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}